“They are all great quarterbacks, and they are all different players, so just as many reps as you can get with a bunch of different guys is only going to help us and help the team,” Warren told reporters in June.
This vague response was sent to the Stampede Blue staff after learning the Chicago Bears chose tight end Colston Loveland over Tyler Warren with the tenth overall pick in April’s NFL Draft. Michigan’s Loveland was perceived as a bigger threat in the passing game, opposed to Warren’s more versatile skill set at Penn State. Chicago’s first-year head coach Ben Johnson preferred to connect a reliable pass catcher with second-year quarterback Caleb Williams, the Bears first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
The Bears’ shocking selection set the stage for the Colts to land Warren without having to trade up. Indianapolis ranked 30th in average time of possession in 2024, so perhaps the biggest improvement the Colts need to prioritize is their ability to sustain drives on offense. The abysmal production from the Colts tight end unit ranked near the worst in football last season, so adding Warren filled a massive void in an offense still trying to put all the pieces together.
It’s normal for a rookie tight end to have to build rapport with two different quarterbacks in training camp. Reps will be limited during the Colts open competition between third-year pro Anthony Richardson and seventh-year veteran Daniel Jones. Warren showcased natural instincts to get open as a receiver without pads as Jones took all of the first-team reps in minicamp.
“They are all great quarterbacks, and they are all different players, so just as many reps as you can get with a bunch of different guys is only going to help us and help the team,” Warren told reporters in June.
Warren, a First-Team All-American, proved he can take over a game and become a mismatch against opposing defenders whether he’s aligned in the backfield, on the line, or as a wide receiver. If there was essentially a five-tool football player, it was evidenced by his career-best performance with 17 catches for 224 receiving yards and one touchdown in an overtime win against USC. Warren’s highlight reel featured dropping defenders with both his agility and brute force, while soaring over opponents to haul in contested catches in the end zone.
Indianapolis hopes to revive its franchise from the past decade of irrelevance. The Colts have made the playoffs just twice since last winning the AFC South title in 2014 and have missed the playoffs in each of the last four seasons. There are only three franchises — the Jets (14), Falcons (7), and Panthers (7) — that have suffered through longer playoff droughts.
Colts head coach Shane Steichen enters his third season in Indianapolis having to design an offense around two QBs with different playing styles. Despite an unremarkable 17-17 record, it should be mentioned Steichen entered 19 of his first 34 games as an NFL coach with his backup signal caller. Gardner Minshew II started 13 games in 2023, including the final 12 games after Richardson’s season-ending surgery. Joe Flacco received six starts across three separate stretches last season.